Cooking On The Go: Slow-Cooked Sides

Simmering is the secret to an easy array of dishes that can accompany a main course and be a hit at the campground potluck. 

 

By Janet Groene, F47166

January 2015

 

At a typical campground get-together, meat sizzles on the grill or a turkey hisses in the deep fryer while a table is set to receive side dishes that everyone brings. You don’t want to miss a minute of the party, so recipes should be fuss-free and easy to self-serve. 

 

Try these side-dish sensations for carefree cooking in a slow cooker. Then bring them to the table with a “Ta-da!”

 

Southern Squash Casserole

 

This recipe has been around forever, but you may not have tried making it in the slow cooker before. Here’s how.

 

8 cups sliced yellow squash or zucchini, or a mixture of both

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 cup water

Garlic salt

Freshly ground pepper

 

Assemble vegetables in a slow cooker that has been coated with nonstick spray. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Add water. Cook one hour on high. Proceed to the next step. 

 

1 cup (8-ounce carton) sour cream or Greek-style plain yogurt

2 eggs

1 8-ounce package shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups seasoned stuffing mix

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

 

Whisk together the sour cream or yogurt and the eggs. Fold in the cheese and stuffing mix. Fold into the squash. Cover and cook three hours on low. Leave covered and let stand 20 to 30 minutes. Stir and sprinkle with Parmesan if you wish. Serves 10 to 12. 

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Sweet ’N’ Tender Roots

 

You’ll need four to five pounds of root vegetables, the more variety, the better: carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, and white and gold potatoes. Cut them in same-size pieces so they’ll cook evenly.

 

About 8 cups root vegetables, peeled and cut up

1 large yellow onion, cut up

1/2 cup yellow raisins

Salt, pepper

Sauce:

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup molasses or dark corn syrup

Garnish:

Dried tarragon, parsley, or chives OR fresh minced parsley, cilantro, or dill

 

Butter a slow cooker or coat it with nonstick spray. Mix the vegetables with the raisins. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk together the vinegar, water, olive oil, and molasses or corn syrup, and drizzle over the vegetables. Do not stir. Cover and cook four hours on high. Stir gently. Sprinkle with garnish of choice. Serves eight to 10. 

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Unbeatable Beets

 

If your canned beets already contain salt, don’t add more to this recipe. Some supermarkets sell shredded red cabbage. 

 

3 15-ounce cans cut beets

1 small red cabbage, coarsely shredded

Freshly ground pepper

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup maple syrup or maple-flavored syrup

1/4 cup prepared horseradish

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

 

Coat a slow cooker with nonstick spray and drain 1/2-cup beet juice into the bottom. Discard remaining juice. If beets are irregular sizes, cut the larger pieces to make them more uniform. Layer the beets in the slow cooker alternately with the shredded cabbage. Sprinkle with pepper. Melt butter with the syrup, horseradish, and vinegar. Drizzle over the beets. Cover and cook three hours on high or five hours on low. Stir and serve. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

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Potato Mushroom Medley

 

2 large baking potatoes, scrubbed and diced

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 cup milk or water

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon each salt, pepper, cinnamon

1 cup (or more to taste) chopped roasted peanuts

 

Coat a slow cooker with nonstick spray and fold in the vegetables, mixing well. Whisk together the soup, milk or water, peanut butter, and seasonings. Pour over the vegetables. Cover and cook four to five hours on low. (The finer the dice, the faster this cooks.) Just before serving, sprinkle peanuts on top. Serves 10 to 12.

 

Cook’s note: To turn this into a family main dish, dice a can of Spam or ham and mix with the raw vegetables.

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Yum Yams

 

1 stick butter

4 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut up

4 cups apples, peeled and cut up

1 cup broken pecans

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup maple flavor pancake syrup (regular, light, or sugar-free)

1 teaspoon apple pie spice OR 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each allspice and nutmeg

 

Coat the slow cooker with nonstick spray and heat the butter in it. Add the sweet potatoes and apples and stir gently to coat them with melted butter. Add the pecans and coconut. Whisk the syrup with spices and add. Cover and cook four to five hours on low. Serves 8 to 10. 

 

Cook’s note: To make this a main dish, add diced ham and cook as directed. 

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Honey Nut Sweet Potatoes

 

Large No. 10 cans of sweet potatoes, sold at some supermarkets and big-box stores, are a huge time-saver when you’re making a big, potluck-size dish. (Such cans contain about three quarts.)

 

1 No. 10 can sweet potatoes, drained

1 cup brown sugar, divided

1/2 cup honey

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Liquid margarine

2 cups chopped pecans

 

Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and add the sweet potatoes. Use a hand blender or potato masher to mash the sweet potatoes. Whisk half the brown sugar with the honey and cinnamon and mash into the sweet potatoes. Smooth to an even layer and drizzle with liquid margarine. Sprinkle with pecans and the other half cup of brown sugar. Drizzle with more liquid margarine. Cook one hour on high or three hours on low. Serves eight to 10. 

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Creamed Lima Beans

 

1/2 cup water

2 16-ounce bags frozen green baby lima beans, thawed

1 large onion, diced

1 can cream of celery soup

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

 

Coat the slow cooker with nonstick spray. Add the water, thawed lima beans, and onion. Whisk together the soup, cream, and seasonings, and pour over the lima beans. Cook three hours on high or five hours on low. Stir and serve. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

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Corn Pudding

 

If the canned corn contains salt, don’t add more. Cottage cheese and bread crumbs also contain salt.  

 

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk or cream

1 stick butter, melted

2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 15-ounce cans whole-kernel corn, drained

1 15-ounce can cream-style corn

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

 

Butter the slow cooker. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk or cream, butter, cottage cheese, and pepper. Fold in the corn and bread crumbs. Place in the cooker. Cook three to four hours on low or until pudding “sets,” as for custard. Serves 10 as a side dish or five to six as a vegetarian main dish. 

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Appetizer Meatballs

 

These zippy bites will disappear quickly while you’re waiting for the main event. Frozen meatballs are sold in large or small sizes, made of beef or turkey. Be sure to get the small ones. 

 

3 packages (14 to 16 ounces each) small meatballs, thawed

1 10-ounce jar pepper jelly

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

2 cups beef broth

 

Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and arrange the thawed meatballs inside it. In a saucepan, whisk together the pepper jelly, tomato paste, and beef broth until smooth. Pour the mixture over the meatballs and cook for two hours on high or four hours on low. Stir and serve with skewers. Serves 18 to 20. 

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More Slow-Cooker Tips

Can You Top This?

 

Foods prepared in the moist heat of a slow cooker don’t develop a crusty topping. So, here are ways to add flavor and flourish to a dish just before serving. (Do not cover again after taking these steps.)